September 20, 2018
Leveling Students and Texts Debate
We have read several articles in which literacy experts expressed conflicting views about using “just-right” or instructional-level texts with students. Each author used research to support his or her opinion. In this discussion, we will continue the debate we started in class. You were assigned to one side of this debate to argue in the blog discussion. The overarching question related to this debate is: Should we teach students with texts at their instructional-reading level or texts at their grade level?
Arguing for the use of “just right” text: Kate, Anna, Reed, Fletcher, Brandon
Arguing for the use of grade level text: Emily, Lindsay, Julia, Maddy, Syndney
- Review the assigned articles in this topic to find evidence to support your opinion.
- For your initial post, based on your assigned group, argue whether we should teach students at their instructional-reading level or at their grade level. Cite evidence from the reading to support your claim.
- Respond to at least one of your peers. In response to your classmates, find a response that has an opinion contrary to your own and discuss the similarities and differences in the stances. Your replies may constructively challenge positions you disagree with or provide additional support for posts you agree with. As always, your replies should be thoughtful and contribute meaningfully to the discussion.
We should be teaching students at their grade level rather than their instructional-reading level for several key reasons. Some in the education community believe that rather than read a text that might be too easy or too difficult, students should only be given the “just right” texts that correspond to their assessed level of reading. But why limit a students’ exposure to the books that lie outside of their “just right” level? By reading texts outside of their “just right” level, students encounter and have to navigate complexities and challenges that they might not otherwise have faced. A fourth-grade student should be reading the same fourth-grade texts that the other fourth-grade students are reading. As Timothy Shanahan pointed out in his article “Should We Teach Students at Their Reading Levels?”, if you stick a low-performing fourth grader with a second-grade text, when will he or she ever have the opportunity to catch up to the rest of their grade? Allowing all students in a grade to experience the texts that are appropriate to their age, rather than comfortable to their reading level, makes for effective scaffolding opportunities for students who are low-performing in literacy.
I agree that there are benefits to having students reading in grade level texts. How can we scaffold the learning for those students who are not able to read grade level text independently yet?
You make a very valid point regarding the exposure of scholars to higher level texts. I agree scholars do need the challenges and complexities that come from higher level texts. However, I do believe that you may be slightly mistaken as to the timing of this exposure. When scholars encounter higher level text they tend to shut down and stop trying because they cannot yet comprehend its complexities (I am speaking from my experience as a teacher). When first exposing scholars to certain reading skills I believe it best to start out with a book at the level they are comfortable at while you teach them things such as fluency, and comprehension. Once they assess proficient at that level then they should be moved up to grade level texts and higher if need be. For example, in chess their are certain plays made to place an opponent in check mate where multiple moves are conducted with multiple pieces. If you were to try to teach someone these plays before teaching them how each individual piece moves they could be easily overwhelmed. In short, I agree with you that scholars should be challenged with grade level texts or higher. Yet, only once they’ve mastered those fundamentals at their current level.
I am arguing on the side of grade level text, because I feel that having students read books that are ‘just right’ for them can be incredibly limiting, and can place them in a fixed mindset. In the article, “What if Just Right is Just Wrong”, the author claims ““Just right” thinking may deny access to informational texts that readers want to read and can read (unintended consequence 9)” (Hoffman, 268). If a student is assigned a reading they know is ‘just right’ for them, that student can become too comfortable at that level, and when they are forced to move on they can become easily frustrated and tell the teacher that “it’s too hard”. We as teachers should always give our students the opportunity to reach higher, even if it means trying things that may seem too challenging for them. In the Youtube video we watched, “doing work that works for them”, it highlights how teaching up and assuming that students are inherently capable leads to higher learning and a strong classroom environment. However, if all of your 3rd grade students are choosing from a small category of books, all at different levels, it can create the idea that the higher the reading level the smarter you are, which can attribute to that fixed mindset all educators want to avoid.
For this blog post, I will be arguing on the side of teaching students at their grade level. While I was not in class for the debate (thanks laryngitis!) I found myself connecting with the arguments that Hoffman was making in the article, “What If Just Right Is Just Wrong?” Specifically, I agreed with the part where Hoffman claimed that “just right” may allow the teacher to teach specific reading strategies, but it may also limit students’ “curiosity, comprehension, appreciation, imagination, writing, or critical thinking.”
This quote reminded me of some things that I have observed while being at my Practicum this semester. My cooperating teacher encourages the students to “flop and read” when they finish work early. This requires students to go to the class “Book Nook” and choose any book they would like to read for a little while. My teacher never tells students that they have to read books that are “just right,” rather she allows them to choose books that appear to them. While the students may be choosing books that they cannot perfectly read, they are choosing books that spark their curiosity. Ms. Bosland (my cooperating teacher) has found that by allowing students to choose books, they end up asking more questions about things such as words they do not understand because they are interested to know more about the book.
I am also a big proponent of always giving a student a little bit of a challenge. While I agree that we should not challenge students so much that they become frustrated, having students read at a text that is “just right” may bore students. There is an old saying that the magic happens outside of your comfort zone and I believe this could apply in this situation. We want to push our students to continue to reach for higher goals, without pushing so far and hard that they lose interest and motivation.
I agree that students should be able to access more difficult texts. It gives them something to work towards and and an idea of what kinds of texts lay ahead. With appropriate scaffolding, students may be able to comprehend a text, even though they may not be able to read it independently.
Yes! What are some specific examples of that type of appropriate scaffolding that would make the text accessible to all?
I agree that having all students read grade-level texts (as opposed to having students read the texts that are appropriate for their assessed level) presents opportunities for scaffolding. Students that find the grade-level text to be too challenging but within their zone of proximal development can learn from a “more knowledgeable other” (i.e., students in their class who read at a higher level) through peer tutoring, modeling by their peers, and collaborative or partner work.
I like how you acknowledge that “just right” texts support the teacher to address specific reading problems, strategies, etc; but, also how they limit the curiosity of the student. I feel as though many students would get bored of reading a “just right” text all the time because they will not feel challenged, or the text simply will not be interesting to them. I believe students should be able to pick up and read whatever they are comfortable with; however, when doing this it makes it harder for teachers to know what the students are gathering from their specific texts. So, I guess there should be a balance of both texts in the classroom.
I am arguing that all students should read books that are on grade level. This way, it will allow the entire class to read the same books and level the playing field. Some students may struggle with on grade level texts, but there are supports that can help students access these texts. If all students read on grade level, it will create a stronger class environment because everyone is experiencing the same texts. This can lead to class discussions about the texts. Limiting students to books that are “just right” may be limiting because they may still be able to comprehend higher level texts. As the Fountas and Pinnell reading talked about, guided reading can happen with a variety of differentiation techniques.
I am arguing the idea of using primarily grade level texts for literacy instruction over primarily “just-right” texts. I think there is a huge value to reading and utilizing texts that are at the students’ grade level or even higher, especially for listening comprehension practice. Burkins and Yaris say that reading aloud to students from frustration-level texts is “one of the most powerful ways to impact literacy development”. It allows all students access to engaging stories with themes, messages, and characters written specifically for their age group. All readers deserve to have access to stories that inspire them and should not be limited just because a text is not at their “level”.
In my practicum experience, my cooperating teacher tries to use primarily “just-right” texts, but it does not feel successful. A good portion of the students are just reading to do the assignment or keep the teacher from getting upset. I see the students rereading the same sections or just hopping from one book to another.
I am arguing on the just right text side of the discussion because I do not like labels and do not like it when teacher decide whether a student should be reading one book or the other. I believe students should explore and be challenged through school. I do agree with the fact that if a student is challenging with reading the teacher should scaffold and help that student get from one level to the other but I do not agree with teachers giving the students a certain level of books.
Furthermore, the teacher should teach students to love reading, and if teachers are giving students some books only because of the level, they are just restraining students from getting to enjoy other books or from exploring. They should be able to choose whatever they want to read. The teacher, should not put college level or high school level books in an elementary classroom library, but the teacher could put some 5th-grade chapter books in a third-grade classroom. According to one of the readings, literacy should be a tool and not a goal. And reading levels tend to make the students feel this way and think of reading as a goal and not a tool. Students should be able to read what is just right for them or a book that they think is good for them. But not a book that a teacher thinks is correct or a bookseller thinks its correct.
I agree that teachers should be teaching students to love reading. I challenge you to think about how a teacher can do this by allowing a student to read a text that is not “just right.” Allowing students to read a text that may be a little out of their reach may promote motivation to learn things that are not understood originally.
I agree with the point that you don’t like to label your students with their reading, I haven’t thought of that perspective and that is very interesting. I also think, however, that you could argue that reading is a tool and not a goal for grade level texts, because you aren’t letting them stay stuck at something that is just right, you can push them safely to go farther?!
The support in your argument is actually for using grade-level text, rather than instructional level texts. In “just-right” leveled texts, the students are reading different books or texts based on what is in their own ZPD.
In this blog post, I am arguing for leveled texts as I believe students should be reading at all the same grade level in order to keep the classroom all on one page. Having the entire class all reading at the same level will allow the students to feel like a team instead of like they are competitors. It can help facilitate a strong classroom climate where everyone is learning together. Fountas and Pinnell talked about how guided reading can happen with multiple different differentiating techniques, and though there will always be students who struggle, reading support can be provided to those students when necessary. We as teachers should not limit our students to read books that are just right for them when they can push themselves to further their reading skills. Limiting their books is limiting their learning
I agree with you… I think teachers should push their students and challenge them so that they can become better readers with time. However, I do think there should be differentiation of book levels in a classroom because then some students will get bored and other students will struggle if they do not have the necessary tools to improve their reading. It is a tricky question, and I do not believe there is a wrong or right answer. I think there are many ways to solve this problem and one of them is by differentiating. Furthermore, I agree with the international reading association book “The What’s Hot Issue.” They wrote that to teach students at their levels is to guarantee a lack of adequate reading proficiency by graduation. Teachers should challenge their higher students and should give the sufficient tools to lower students to help them catch up to the grade level or even higher reading level.
Leveled text is when the students are reading in different texts that are not all the same; each student is reading a level that is “just right” for their ability. Your argument here is for using grade-level texts.
Students should be reading at leveled texts for several key reasons. They will be engaging in the same texts, making them work together as a team to uncover the text; rather than compete who is at a higher grade level. Also, students will be able to discuss common trends, main ideas, confusions, etc. and peer learning will be more achievable. I believe the structure of the guided reading lesson was interesting from the Fountas, “Guided Reading: The Romance and the Reality”, text. Teachers can support students learning greater when everyone is on the same page, reading the same text. These lessons can also be differentiated to support all learners, making the content either more challenging or easier to support the instructional level of the student.
I like how you bring up the point about competition when having students read at different grade levels. I do wonder, however, if this could also be true for students when they read texts that are “just right.” Not all students will be reading at the same level; therefore, competition may also be present here.
I think your argument for using leveled texts is strong, especially the point of using the leveled texts to bring the students together. It was not something I considered when arguing for the side of using grade-level texts. Using leveled texts could create its’ own sense of community the same way all the students reading Harry Potter would. I do wonder though the level of differentiation that is possible. If all students are meant to be reading the same group of texts, how much beyond the product or process could be modified? What if that is not enough to meet the needs of the students?
I like how you brought in a team aspect to your blog post, pushing that everyone reading the same texts leads to community in the classroom. That’s something I hadn’t thought of and really liked to read!
I agree with you that having students be able to encourage and help each other is extremely important for a good classroom climate. But I fear that only in a perfect world will students always all be on the same page. I feel that keeping all students with the group may discourage the ones who want to read more difficult texts and further their reading skills. Limiting students potential I fear can dimish their intrinsic motivation around reading.
If students are reading leveled texts, I’m confused about the “engaging in the same texts” comment. Do you mean within their leveled groups? If you are using texts that are “just right” for each students, it’s extremely likely you will need to have several different texts to meet the needs of all of your students. I agree that the students will all be able to discuss common trends, even across the different texts, but using leveled text would not put every student on the same page, reading the same text.